Halftone Dithering FX

Free halftone & dithering studio

Turn any photo or video into halftone dot art

Drop in an image, drag a slider, watch the dots appear. Error-diffusion modes — Floyd–Steinberg, Jarvis–Judice–Ninke, Stucki, Burkes — or ordered and noise dither for a print or comic look. Live split preview, savable presets, and export to PNG, SVG, or WebM.

Floyd–SteinbergOrdered ditherCustom mark shapesSVG exportVideo / WebMSplit preview

Runs entirely in your browser · Your files never leave your device · No signup

Operator Panel

Controls

Source

Primary

15

Image Adjustments

50
0
1
0

Dithering

Coloring

Presets
Built-in looks and configs saved in this browser.

Template Packs

Saved Local Configs

No saved configs yet. Save your first style above.

Split View Inspector
Compare original media with processed halftone output in real-time.

Split: 52% halftone / 48% original — drag the line on the preview or use the slider.

How to tune halftone and dithering for portraits, print, and video

Grid size controls how fine your dot screen looks; contrast and gamma shape readability. Error-diffusion methods like Floyd–Steinberg or Jarvis–Judice–Ninke spread quantization error across neighbors for smoother gradients, while ordered dithering gives a more regular, comic or newsprint feel. Use the split preview while you adjust settings so stills and motion stay balanced — then export PNG for pixels, SVG for vectors, or WebM when you are working with video.

Best Halftone Settings For Portraits

Dial in flattering halftone portraits with smoother transitions, strong contrast control, and subtle texture.

  • Start with a medium grid size (16-24) to preserve facial features while keeping print character.
  • Use slight smoothing (0.5-1.5) to reduce harsh skin artifacts.
  • Try Jarvis-Judice-Ninke or Stucki for balanced detail and less aggressive noise.
  • If you want graphic editorial style, use Burkes with higher contrast.
Read the full guide

Newspaper Vs Comic Dithering

Understand the visual differences between classic newsprint, comic-print, and posterized halftone treatments.

  • Newspaper style favors tighter grids and monochrome ink for authentic print texture.
  • Comic style benefits from ordered dithering and cleaner edges.
  • Posterized looks use stronger contrast and selective multicolor dots.
  • Save each look into your local config library to compare quickly.
Read the full guide

Video To Halftone Workflow

Process motion content with stable halftone settings and export clean WebM loops for creative campaigns.

  • Upload high-contrast clips for cleaner dot transitions between frames.
  • Use split view while tuning grid size so detail remains readable in motion.
  • Keep smoothing moderate to avoid flicker on high-frequency textures.
  • Export WebM for animation pipelines and PNG/SVG for still assets.
Read the full guide

What Is Halftone And Dithering?

A beginner-friendly explanation of halftone and dithering — what they are, why they exist, and how they differ.

  • Halftone reproduces continuous tone using dots of varying size or spacing.
  • Dithering simulates extra colors or shades by arranging a limited palette.
  • Both techniques trade smooth gradients for structured, printable patterns.
  • Understanding the difference helps you pick the right look for your project.
Read the full guide

Error Diffusion Vs Ordered Dithering

When to reach for Floyd–Steinberg and friends versus ordered (Bayer-style) dithering, with practical trade-offs.

  • Error diffusion spreads rounding error to neighbouring pixels for organic results.
  • Ordered dithering uses a fixed matrix for a regular, predictable pattern.
  • Error diffusion suits photos; ordered suits graphic and animated work.
  • Your choice affects detail, stability, and print character.
Read the full guide

Halftone For Print: DPI And SVG Export

Prepare halftone artwork for physical print — understand resolution, dot size, and when to export SVG instead of PNG.

  • Print needs higher resolution than screen, so plan dot size accordingly.
  • SVG keeps dots as crisp vector shapes that scale to any size.
  • PNG is fine for fixed-size or screen-first output.
  • Match dot density to the final print size, not the on-screen preview.
Read the full guide